| Chapter 25 |
1 | Also these are Proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed: --
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2 | The honour of God [is] to hide a thing, And the honour of kings to search out a matter.
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3 | The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings -- [are] unsearchable.
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4 | Take away dross from silver, And a vessel for the refiner goeth forth,
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5 | Take away the wicked before a king, And established in righteousness is his throne.
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6 | Honour not thyself before a king, And in the place of the great stand not.
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7 | For better [that] he hath said to thee, 'Come thou up hither,' Than [that] he humble thee before a noble, Whom thine eyes have seen.
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8 | Go not forth to strive, haste, turn, What dost thou in its latter end, When thy neighbour causeth thee to blush?
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9 | Thy cause plead with thy neighbour, And the secret counsel of another reveal not,
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10 | Lest the hearer put thee to shame, And thine evil report turn not back.
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11 | Apples of gold in imagery of silver, [Is] the word spoken at its fit times.
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12 | A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, [Is] the wise reprover to an attentive ear.
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13 | As a vessel of snow in a day of harvest, [So is] a faithful ambassador to those sending him, And the soul of his masters he refresheth.
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14 | Clouds and wind, and rain there is none, [Is] a man boasting himself in a false gift.
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15 | By long-suffering is a ruler persuaded, And a soft tongue breaketh a bone.
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16 | Honey thou hast found -- eat thy sufficiency, Lest thou be satiated [with] it, and hast vomited it.
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17 | Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house, Lest he be satiated [with] thee, and have hated thee.
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18 | A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying against his neighbour a false testimony.
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19 | A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, [Is] the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity.
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20 | Whoso is taking away a garment in a cold day, [Is as] vinegar on nitre, And a singer of songs on a sad heart.
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21 | If he who is hating thee doth hunger, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirst, cause him to drink water.
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22 | For coals thou art putting on his head, And Jehovah giveth recompense to thee.
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23 | A north wind bringeth forth rain, And a secret tongue -- indignant faces.
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24 | Better to sit on a corner of a roof, Than [with] a woman of contentions, and a house of company.
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25 | [As] cold waters for a weary soul, So [is] a good report from a far country.
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26 | A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, [Is] the righteous falling before the wicked.
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27 | The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one's own honour -- honour.
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28 | A city broken down without walls, [Is] a man without restraint over his spirit!
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